Yanma are winged insectoid Pokemon with slender bodies and a large head. On that head is a set of distinctive y-shaped, crest-like, antennae and a small but powerful set of chewing mouth-parts. It also has a pair of surprisingly advanced refractive cornea-type eyes. It's comparatively small thorax has 3 pairs of legs, with each leg having a tiny, two-digit, "claw". Yanma has 2 pairs of white, membranous wings, with red bands running across them; the width of these bands are an indicator of a Yanma's age. It's slender abdomen ends with a bizzare pincer-like cerci structure at the end. This pincer has two protrusions coming out of both sides, researchers conclude that the Yanma uses the protrusions to stabilize itself in flight. The rest of the structure seems to act as sexual organs for both female and male specimens; however, the function of the actual "teeth" of the pincer structure are unknown in function and are likely vestigial. Yanma are primarily bright red with a patch of green around the eyes and the front of the head, though there some extremely rare cases of blue-colored Yanma in the wild.

Yanmega are one of the largest species of bug Pokemon known to man, being over 6 feet in length. Though at first glance they seem to scaled up versions of Yanma and, in a sense, they are, except for a few notable differences. One is that they have an inverted coloring, primarily forest-green with large red compound eyes with a Y shaped marking on each eye. Another is that in place of the antennae, there is a line of black, triangular, spikes going down the Pokemon's head and thorax, along with an additional spike on its cerci-structure. Along the side of its thorax, and along the top of its abdomen, Yanmega has a series of red spots. The abdominal structure itself is also much more complex, with a more refined cerci, and the twin protrusions have morphed into a pair of small auxiliary wings. Yanmega also has a much larger set of mouth-parts, with two fang-like pincers jutting downward that are used to hold prey.

!! Notable Biology

Yanma beats its wings at over 25-times per second in a distinctive fashion that causes a vortex of air to swirl underneath it. This unique flight mechanic allows Yanma to hover in the air for indefinite amounts of time, and to move in any direction it wishes. It's common to find Yanma flitting around the air at high speeds while searching for prey or protecting its territory. The wings of a Yanmega are even more powerful, allowing it to carry objects (usually prey) equal to its body weight during flight unhindered. It is also surprisingly agile for its size; it can accelerate and change direction just as quickly as its smaller counterpart.

The eyes of the Yanma are controlled individually, like a Kecleon's, allowing it to see two images at once. This, combined with the visual range of each eye, allows Yanma to have a total visual range of 360 degrees. Yanmega, on the other hand, has true compound-eyes and can focus on all images in its visual range at once. However, a Yanmega actually has less visual range than Yanma as its eyes do not completely reach behind its head, giving it a 45 degree blind spot.

What is odd about Yanmega in particular is that there is evidence to prove that its much older than the modern Yanma. Fossil records show Yanmega specimens almost identical to modern ones dating back to over 305 million years ago. In fact, like Relicanth, Yanmega was considered a long extinct species until live specimens were found deep in remote rain forests recently. Many Paleo-pokeologists believe that Yanmega may be the first true bug Pokemon to evolve, and certainly the first Pokemon to achieve powered flight.

!! Habitat

Yanma are commonly found near streams, ponds, lakes, and swamps. Yanmega are very rare in the wild, and have only been found in thick jungles in one or two areas in the world.

!! Diet

Yanma are predatory, feeding mainly on small insects, though some species have been observed eating small fish. Yanmega hunt larger insects, such as Ledyba and Ledian. In fact, Yanmega have been observed cannibalizing local Yanma. Due to their size, Yanmega require large amounts of food. In fact, it is hypothesized that Yanmega only exist in such remote regions because of the unusually high concentrations of bug Pokemon there.

!! Hazards

Yanma is able to manipulate the distortions it causes in the air to create controlled shock waves. These shock waves are very powerful and can easily knock a grown man off his feet and, under some conditions, break glass. While Yanma act very aggressive and territorial to other Yanma, they generally ignore humans. But be warned, a startled Yanma WILL use a Sonic Boom on anything it perceives as a threat.

The aerial shock waves of a Yanmega are much more powerful; a controlled blast can easily shred through skin and muscle, and cause severe internal bleeding. What is worse is that Yanmega does not seem to be able to completely control the distortions it makes, as it frequently cuts apart tree branches during sudden take-offs. The distortions are so strong that it is dangerous to even stand near a Yanmega in flight.

While Yanmega almost exclusively use their mouthparts for feeding, they have enormous jaw strength. They are able to tear apart the carapace of a Pineco with ease. Luckily, there have been no recorded incidents of Yanmega biting humans.

!! Courting and Childrearing

During the Spring, wild female Yanma perform a mating "dance" where it flies around in a distinctive pattern to attract mates. When a male arrives it chases the female until either it or the female gives up. Then they mate by connecting their cerci. Afterwords, the female lays a single egg in water, usually near water plants, and then abandons it to go feed or mate again. Females can mate up to 20 times in a single season.

After a short gestation period a young Yanma in a larval nymph form hatches from the egg. It feeds off of water-borne plants until it is mature, where upon it crawls out of the water, molts, and flies away on newly developed wings as an adult Yanma. Yanma bred in captivity lay larger eggs and skip the larval stage entirely. Scientists are baffled at why this occurs.

The mating habits of Yanmega have not been observed, as they are recently discovered and rarely seen in the wild.

!! Social Structure

Both Yanma and Yanmega are solitary creatures, reacting with hostility to other members of its species when it's not mating season.

!! Credits

[-Original entry written by Neo_Crimson of The Pokedex Extended Fanon Edition. Yanma, Yanmega, Pokemon, and all related terms, characters, and productions are the property of Gamefreak and Nintendo.-]